Shape Up or Ship Out
by silverwritinggoddess
Summary: This is a sequel to "Letting Go." This starts back at the scene in my fan fiction story in Edward's point of view. So, when he tells her those famous words, he doesn't know how to react when she doesn't cry as he expected her to. No, he is met with a different kind of emotion from her...
1. Chapter 1

(Shape Up or Ship Out—Sequel)

This is done in Edward's Point of View.

RECAP:

"I won't come back. You can go on with your life without anymore interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed." (71, Meyer) - "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"

MY STORY:

Edward felt his heart break when those dreaded words passed his lips. Bella was such a beautiful human girl but she deserved so much more than a monster like him. Besides, he was leaving to protect her. Victoria would come after him and she would no longer bother the sweet creature in front of him. He managed to maintain a cold and stony face so he wouldn't reveal his true feelings. He looked at his singer very closely. Shock and confusion clouded her face before a new emotion crossed her face, an emotion that he would not have expected from the one woman that loved him…scorn.

The vampire felt his entire being shatter. He turned away quickly so Bella wouldn't see his despair. However, he didn't get very far when he heard her say:

"Good riddance. You're nothing but a piece of garbage."

The insult reached his ears and Edward stopped in his tracks. He heard Bella turn away and start back to her house. He knew that he deserved her contempt, but her reaction was quite a surprise. He had expected her to cry and beg for him to stay, but this was NOT what he had expected out of her at all. It was quite frustrating for him to not be able to read her thoughts, even though it was a safe bet that she was bashing him for his decisions. Edward quickly started to follow Bella, ensuring that she got back to her house safely. It was the least he could do.

"It's time to get away from it all." Bella said.

Edward wondered what she meant by that.

Edward spent time alone while the rest of the family was in Denali, staying with a coven there. All he could think about was two things: Victoria and Bella. He left Bella behind in order to protect her from Victoria. In fact, he was trying his hand at tracking her and, so far, he ran into several false trails. It did relieve him, however, that the red-headed wench was out here and not hunting Bella. That was his main concern.

(Bella…)

He could almost smell her lovely and intoxicating scent. Her beautiful image made him feel…alive. The sight brought him some happiness until he remembered the scorn and contempt that came from her lips. Edward stopped. He couldn't stand the fact that she hated him, but he forced himself to live with it. He had no choice if he wanted to keep her safe, even if it meant bearing her hatred. He punched a nearby tree. The force of his punch left an indentation in the bark. That was just another reminder of his monstrosity.

Suddenly, Edward's cell phone started to ring. He didn't need to look to see who it was. Alice was always trying to get him to return to Denali. He wasn't the only one that was suffering from Bella's loss. His dear sweet sister was suffering, too, and it didn't help her that he had forbid her from looking into Bella's future. Emmett was no longer his goofy self and Jasper was completely loathing himself for losing control. Rosalie…well, she was being Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme were deeply affected, too.

(It was necessary to keep her alive.) Edward tried to convince himself.

He finally answered the phone.

"Yes, Alice?"

"Finally!" Her fairy-like voice exclaimed. "You really need to come home, dear brother. Everyone misses you."

"Why would they want me there? I'm dragging everyone down."

"We know that you did it to protect her, Edward."

"Something tells me that you had a reason to call me."

"Right. Victoria is building an army…"

That was all Edward needed to hear.

The Cullens returned to Forks without hesitation. Alice was anxious to see if her dear friend was alright. Her vision of Bella had disappeared because of the damned wolf pack. Speaking of the wolf pack, they had managed to destroy part of Victoria's army, but if the Cullens hadn't arrived in a timely fashion, the pack would have been annihilated. Edward had immediately set his sights on the red-headed witch. She was quick and her special ability of evasion made it hard for anyone to catch her. However, the golden-eyed vampire refused to give up the hunt. Eventually, her head was torn off of her shoulders and went tumbling into the forest. The wolf pack and the vampires, under an uneasy and temporary alliance, gathered up all of the destroyed vampires and placed them in a pile and burned them.

The wolf pack left without a thank you, save one russet-colored wolf, which briefly disappeared into the woods. Edward flinched as he sifted through the wolf's mind. There were so many images of his beautiful Bella. There was one memory, though, that caught his interest and it terrified him. Jacob re-emerged from the woods and stomped angrily towards Cullens. He needed to know where his friend had disappeared to.

"What did you do to Bella?" He demanded.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"I went to her house recently and Charlie said she moved out of state. What the hell did you do to her?"

Edward sighed sadly as he explained his tale. Jacob listened, releasing a low growl every now and then, prompting the rest of the Cullens to crouch defensively to protect their son and brother. Reluctantly, though, Jacob had to admit that he hadn't been of any help either and had been neglecting her as well. He also related of the incident that happened down at the reservation when Bella had slapped Paul. He had lost control and phased into a wolf in front of her. That was when he made his choice (with a little help from Sam, of course).

"It was to protect her from being hurt." He concluded.

"We understand." Carlisle replied gently.

"Where could she have gone?" Esme asked tearfully.

Jacob shrugged. Bella never told him that she was moving out of the state so he had no clue as to where she could be and Charlie had never said anything either, though he didn't ask.

"Well," Alice said. "Charlie tells me Bella moved to Texas."

"Texas?" Emmett asked. "Why'd she go there?"

"Apparently they have one of the best English literature programs down there."

Edward gave a brief smile, remembering that Bella loved literature and that choosing such a major was something that she would go for, even though going to college hadn't been on the map. He sighed. She had been so bent on becoming a vampire that she through all of the human things by the wayside. Jasper looked at his brother and smirked at him before turning back to his wife. It was nice to have his brother back. Emmett noticed too and tried to get him into a headlock. Even Rosalie had to grin.

"Alright, you two." Esme chided, smiling.

"So," Jasper said. "What's the plan?"

"Like you need to ask." Alice said with a grin.

Edward saw his sister's vision of going to Texas. He was taught never to bet against Alice and just nodded. The plan was settled. They would go to Texas and see Bella and, hopefully, bring her back into the family.

"Edward." Alice called.

"Hm?"

"This is a second chance for all of us. I really don't want to mess this up."

Alice sounded fearful and unsure. This was definitely unlike his sister, but he couldn't blame her. They had all messed up by abandoning the most precious person to have entered their immortal lives. They had to shape up or ship out.


	2. Chapter 2

The Cullens checked every school in Texas in which Bella might have enrolled in. After hacking numerous databases, they finally located their sister/lover in College Station, Texas, at Texas A&M. They were all still very surprised that she would travel so far away from Washington, but Edward realized that she had left that state to get away from everything, from all of the memories and the pain that she suffered. That was when he remembered something. It went back to that terrible day that he had left her in the woods when she had muttered something to herself.

_So that was what she meant. _Edward thought, remembering her last statement.

He sighed sadly, knowing that he had caused her to leave, before he tried to cheer himself up, which Jasper appreciated. Jasper had been bogged down by his brother's sorrow that he often had to leave just to get some space for himself to breathe so to speak. Edward, however, still couldn't help but feel very guilty about his actions. He had left to protect her but, he left her in the care of damned werewolves and that red-headed bitch-who was eliminated eventually. Of course, he wasn't the only one who had felt guilty. Jacob had admitted that he hadn't treated her kindly but he, too, had a good reason of separating himself from her. Unfortunately, though, it cost him his friendship with Bella. Edward actually felt bad for him, despite the animosity between the two. If it wasn't for that animosity, the two could have been close, like brothers because they had a common goal...to protect Bella. As it stood, though, such an idea would never come to be.

Another thing that depressed him was that when he went back to Bella's room and didn't find her there, he went to the one floorboard that he had hidden their memories of their time together, only to find the pictures burnt to ashes. Bella had somehow found them and, clearly, out of anger, she destroyed them and left them there so that he could find them. It was meant as a personal message to him, he thought. She wanted him to remain out of her life so she could move on with her life. That was what he wanted for her, but it still hurt that she destroyed all of the happy memories that they shared together. He knew that he had angered her and that anger was what had made her go her own way. Alice had shown Edward that they were to remain a family, but without Bella. She was no longer part of their future.

_No..._

Edward needed to get out of the house fast so he wouldn't overwhelm Jasper with his depressing emotions. He tried to convince himself that he could manage himself without Bella and that, with time, he would heal from his loneliness and depression. Nothing he tried did the trick. Back when his family had relocated to Denali, he tried to hook up with Tanya but it felt like a betrayal to Bella and he broke the relationship off as soon as it started. He tortured himself by trying to look for girls that looked like Bella. It had pacified him for a little while, but it eventually drove him mad and he ran off into the wilderness. His sister, Alice, had been right about him. He WAS a masochist. He seemed to love punishing himself because that was what he had done everyday since he left her.

_There's no other choice._ He thought.

The eternal seventeen-year-old decided that he would get down on his knees and beg for her forgiveness. He didn't expect to be forgiven, much less spoken to. After seeing what was left of their memories in the box that he had hidden, he was unsure if she even wanted to see him. Well, he would go down to Texas anyway and simply check up on her. He would work on how he would approach her later. For now, he just wanted to travel to Texas and see her lovely face again.

"Never bet against me, Edward." Alice said with a smug look on her face.

Edward smiled at his sister. Even though he doubted that he and Bella would get back together, he wanted to make amends and part as friends at the very least. He looked over at Rosalie, but she said nothing. She had always been jealous of Bella, but she seemed to change her tune after seeing her brother miserable. She did hope that Bella would reconcile with Edward, but she also understood that the brunette wanted to get on with her life. She didn't want to deal with the supernatural anymore after she heard that her smelly friend gave her the heave-ho as well. Rosalie would understand whatever choice Bella would make-even though the hope of that she remained human was still there (which was looking very likely to happen).

Emmett tackled his brother and got him into a headlock. The two wrestled and played around like ordinary brothers. It cheered them all up, Esme and Carlisle included. Everyone was looking forward to the trip that was to begin in several days, according to Alice. She had carefully planned the trip based on what the weather would be for the coming week. For now, everyone would just enjoy the lightened mood that hadn't been felt for a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Edward took it upon himself to focus on his next move. He looked over Bella's schedule, which was rather simple to learn and memorize, and did some research on when and where to enroll for classes. When one class was filled, he managed to get an override for the class. This particular class was what he wanted. Bella enjoyed Victorian Literature and, thus, he enrolled for the course. Alice said that she would be there, even though he instinctively knew that she would pick such a class. He remembered her always reading 'Wuthering Heights' and other various works. She always had her nose buried in that book. It was a very pleasant thought. He knew that when the time came to come face to face with her, he would have to move very slowly. He remembered her angry words and vow to move away from all of the memories. He couldn't blame her. He wouldn't want to be in a place where the surroundings brought back good and happy memories while he suffered from a broken heart. He sighed.

"Keep it down, Edward." Jasper complained. "You're bringing ME down."

"Sorry. I'll tone it down."

Edward decided to refocus on the happier moments that he had with Bella, blocking out the thoughts of his siblings and all of the errant thoughts that he heard on the road. Things were just much easier to handle things that way, instead of being a brooding vampire. He was so good at being that kind of a vampire. He let his thoughts go blank and cut his emotions off for the time being, which surprised Jasper.

"We'll begin class in the next few days." Alice said.

"Good."

She predicted that the weather would be cloudy but fair, making it easy for them to walk among the rest of the human population. Edward knew that it would be like Forks High School all over again. Humans would fawn over their beauty and try to approach them, but, again, they would just isolate themselves from the rest of the world. It would be like that until they located Bella.

* * *

Edward was sitting at the back of the Victorian Novel class that Bella was registered for. It was much easier for him to scout the classroom that way, since it was a rather large class, plus it made him less noticeable that way. He didn't need any more attention brought to himself. Too many females had approached him at one time, most of them sorority girls just looking for a good lay. He wouldn't have minded if one of them had been Bella. He had done her wrong and he intended to make things up to her in ways that he long denied himself from doing. He would be her slave. If she desired to become a vampire, he would give it to her without hesitation. He had suffered massive pain and sorrow after separating himself from her and that had been his biggest regret. He thought he was doing her a service by leaving, thinking it would protect her that way but it did nothing except bring pain and misery.

Suddenly, a familiar brunette entered the lecture hall and Edward was stunned by the beauty before him. Her brown hair seemed darker and her face was twice as angelic as he remembered. She had a slender frame that brought a lot attention, much to his chagrin. She was far more beautiful (not that she hadn't been in the beginning) than before and far more graceful than she had been. He loved how she moved, though he mourned for her clumsiness. Her clumsiness had allowed him to be there and catch her. His happiness of seeing his Bella again was cut short when he saw her kiss a man of twenty-five. He was good-looking guy with blonde hair. Quite frankly, this guy looked like an older version of Mike Newton and Edward wasn't really surprised that he actually was related to that irritating human boy. However, this Newton character in front of him was far more mature than his cousin (from what Edward had found in his thoughts). He was well-suited for Bella, he had to admit, but he wanted her just as much as the Newton guy wanted her.

_I'm not going down without a fight._ Edward thought.

_You go for it, brother._ Alice said.

The young vampire smiled at his sister's encouragement. He would counter Bella before she left at the end of the lecture.


	4. Chapter 4

Edward's POV

Bella was very beautiful and I should have known that she would have moved on. It was what I had wanted, right? Yes, but now I really wanted her back. I didn't understand why, considering I had broken her heart. Jasper and Carlisle told me it was because I felt the mating pull and that she was my mate. That was why I had suffered the way I did, Carlisle explained. The further away I was from my mate, the more pain I would feel. It made sense. She and I had created a bond in the time we were together. We were supposed to feel each other's pain. I remember the pain that I felt in my heart when I said those cruel words to her. I felt the pain at first and, then, indifference. I should have paid attention to that and I did, though, not as closely as I should have.

_Poor Bella. I guess she's really done with me._

I shook my head. I needed to keep focused. If I was going to try to regain her love and trust, I would need to have a good grip on reality and try not to dwell on the past. Jasper snorted but he didn't say a word, which I appreciated. I needed to try to get back on peaceful terms with her and if I didn't regain her love, I would settle for her friendship. I would rather have her friendship rather than having her ignore me entirely, even though I deserved everything that came to me. Throughout the lecture, my sights were on her and the Newton clone. They were both so much in love that it made me rather envious. I decided that I would take lessons from the Newton clone since he was nothing more than a gentleman towards her. He didn't have that lost puppy dog look that his cousin, Mike, had. I was glad that she found someone who could treat her right.

When class ended, I was bound and determined to intercept Bella before she left. Unfortunately, she spotted me before I could get to her and she dashed out with the Newton clone right behind her, wondering what was wrong and what was going on. I heard her promise him that she would explain the situation later, but that she had to get out first and quickly. I was about to follow the two of them before several girls intercepting me. I growled without meaning to, which scared them away. Good riddance to them. They deserved it now that I lost Bella again.

_You still have another chance, Edward._ Alice thought to me. _Don't despair._

I needed to get my act together and fast. Alice told me that Bella and the Newton clone would be at the library studying for an upcoming exam in one of their English classes. My sister told me that I could go there under the pretense of finding research books. I agreed to it but I was rather nervous. I knew that she wouldn't accept me right off the bat. I had a lot of things to atone for. My family had a lot of things to atone for, even though I was the one who orchestrated the entire separation from Bella. Well, I had to do it sooner or later. At least I would have approached her and I was willing to bear her anger. It would be the first step to reconciliation. Even if she didn't forgive me, at least I would know how she feels about me. I would always watch over her, even if it was at a distance. I would do better to protect her and make up for my failing.


	5. Chapter 5

Bella's POV

I could not believe that I just saw _him_. I thought I was crazy that I had to do a double take, but there he was in class. I was surprised that he actually came to Texas considering that this place was the sunniest places that I've ever been to-save Phoenix, Arizona, of course. I thought I was finished with him but the past was clearly not going to stay where it belonged, which meant I had no other choice but to face my past. I had to face Edward again. I felt no love in my heart for him. It all went flying out of the window when he broke my heart and said the words that he had said. There was nothing. Not even a twinge of lingering love. I hate to sound so cruel but I was glad that I didn't feel anything for him anymore. I had a new man in my life and he was something special and not because he was a clone of Mike Newton.

My boyfriend, Nate, was nothing like his cousin. He was far from the puppy dog that Mike was. He was patient with me when we first started to date because I was still reeling from my last relationship. Once I opened up, our relationship deepened and solidified. I guess I should tell you what Nate does for a living. He currently worked for his Marine father in a tackle and bait shop part-time and he also worked in the college bookstore on campus part-time as well. He was twenty-five years old and tall and blonde, much like Mike.

_I really should stop comparing him to Mike._

Our relationship was much stronger than the one that I had with Edward. That was strange, I though. Edward and I had a very strong bond when we were together and it seemed unbreakable. Even when he said those cruel words to me, I thought I would still chase after him. However, I gave myself (and Edward) a surprise when I told him good riddance and that I never wanted to see him again. I felt no guilt in my heart when I had said that. It was like something in the future had changed. I'm no Alice but things did seem different. I no longer saw myself involved with Edward or even being a part of his family. I thought I wanted to be part of that wonderful world of vampires and werewolves. I believed that I would be his immortal mate for life where we would live together forever in eternal bliss but all of that disappeared when he broke off our relationship. Honestly, though, I was glad that he did because Nate was so much better than him. Nate was perfect in every way that was humanly possible.

_I can't be a coward, though._

I needed closure and if Edward's presence here was a sign then I would have to face him sooner or later. I would have to face not only him, but his entire family as well. They all left me so I needed to face them too and tell them how I really felt when they left. It would definitely be the closure that would be needed. It would hurt, but it was necessary. I sighed. This was all too much but I couldn't back down. For now, I had to explain to Nate about what had prompted me to drag him out of class like I did.

A/N: Short, I know. I'm sorry that I left this this standing as long as I did. I had nowhere to go with this story. I don't read 'Twilight' very often so I might have to do some additional research before I can continue. Plus, I write on other websites and they all need my attention as well. Thanks for understanding!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I know that this entire story should have been in Edward's POV but I've decided to change that up a little bit and introduce a few extra characters, anyway. I think it will give my story a little more perspective, wouldn't you say? Enjoy and feedback is very much appreciated. I can't learn and fix mistakes without you guys! :D

Alice's POV

I sighed as the vision of Bella disappeared. There was still no change in the future. My brother deserved to be happy, even though he did say some pretty harsh things to her. It was for her own protection, but look where that got us. Instead of protecting her, we did the opposite by leaving her with a sadistic red-head with a need for revenge. Thankfully, the bitch, Victoria, was destroyed, like she should have been in the beginning and was now burning in Hell with her mate, James. The very thought of him made me feel cold and hollow inside since he was so sadistic. We didn't really have anything to worry about in the future anymore now that major threats had been removed from sight. No visits from the Volturi (thank god), no nothing and, for that, I was glad.

I still held the hope that Bella would at least forgive Edward and the rest of us, of course. I knew she was very angry with us and that she wanted nothing more to do with us. I knew that she found happiness elsewhere, which was great and all but it left a very empty feeling in my heart. We wouldn't be as close as we used to be. She would no longer feel that sense of family that she had with us. Who could blame her? She felt betrayed by us all. I missed my sister very much. I was still very sad that she wouldn't become one of us. Rosalie thought that was for the best. I understood her reasoning because her humanity had been stripped away from her, despite the fact that it was to save her life so to speak. I could tell, though, that Rosalie wasn't herself either. Perhaps she did feel something for Bella, but she didn't show it. Jasper said she did, so I was glad that she felt bad (not that I was pleased that she was feeling guilty) too. It meant that she did feel something.

A vision suddenly came on and I was sucked into a confrontation between Edward and Bella. It appeared that she had initiated the entire meeting. Her boyfriend, Nate or whatever his name was, was nearby. For what purpose, I couldn't say. Maybe he was there just so she didn't feel alone with Edward. My cold, dead heart broke. Once upon a time, those two were so much in love that it seemed like it would never be destroyed. The bond between them was so powerful that I thought it would last. Hell, I saw a vision in which Bella would become one of us...until Edward broke things off with her. It had been to protect her, but look what happened. Edward hadn't intended for this future to happen. It was Bella's decision. I couldn't fault her for it, though. I never did. She just had too many shocks in her young life and she just got fed up with it.

"What is it?" Carlisle's voice asked. "A vision?"

I nodded. I was sucked back into my vision. The end result was Bella leaving hand in hand with Nate and leaving Edward heartbroken. The pain in his golden eyes was there. That was when I was sucked into a second vision...a vision of death...Edward's death. No. I already lost a sister, but I wasn't going to lose my brother. I told Carlisle about what I had seen and he became just as concerned as me. We decided to have a family meeting and discuss what our next plan of action would be. There was too much heartbreak caused and we didn't need anymore of it.


End file.
